hopes for the general classification. In 1979, Thurau won Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and again came second in the 1979 UCI Road World Championships, but he was no longer seen as able to win a grand tour, and he changed teams. He continued as a professional cyclist for several years, but did not win any major races. Doping Thurau tested positive for stimulants after Stage 8 of the 1987 Tour de France. He was fined 5,000 FF (£500), incurred a 10-minute time penalty, placed last on the stage and was given a one-month suspended ban. However, by the time the positive result was revealed, Thurau had already abandoned the Tour. After he had retired, in 1989, he gave an interview to the Bild newspaper, in Germany, where he revealed he had doped throughout his career, including the use of Amphetamines, Testosterone and Cortisone. Personal life In 1998, Thurau was fined 20,000 DM for forgery. In 2012, it was reported that he had embezzled 49,000 EUR in insurance benefits, which were meant for his father, Helmut, to pay for his nursing home. Instead, Thurau kept the money. He was convicted of the offence and was fined 39,900 EUR. His son Björn Thurau is also a racing cyclist, banned for doping, whilst Björn's younger brother Urs is a tennis player who is coached by Dietrich. Major results 1975 1st Tour de Picardie 1st Grand Prix de Fourmies 1976 1st Road race, National Road Championships 4th Overall Vuelta a España 1st Points classification 1st Prologue, Stages 9, 16, 18 & 19b (ITT) 1977 1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen 5th Overall Tour de France 1st Young rider classification 1st Prologue, Stages 2, 5b, 16 & 22a 1978 1st Overall Étoile de Bessèges 1st Züri–Metzgete Giro d'Italia 1st Prologue & Stage 4 3rd Overall Tour of Belgium 1979 1st Overall Deutschland Tour 1st Prologue 1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège 1st Stage 19 Tour de France 1st Six Days of Munich (with Patrick Sercu) 1984 1st Six Days of Bremen (with Albert Fritz) 1986 1st Six Days of Bremen (with Josef Kristen) 1st Six Days of Munich (with Danny Clark) 1987 1st Six Days of Bremen (with Danny Clark) 1st Six Days of Munich (with Urs Freuler) See also List of doping cases in cycling References External links Official Tour de France results for Dietrich Thurau 1954 births Living people Cyclists from Frankfurt German male cyclists German track cyclists German cycling road race